Sacramentia
by Lenn Ravengliace
Summary: r&r sugguestions? I have no summary for this. [Ties in with Sightblinder's The Assassin]
1. Default Chapter

[a/n:: Dear Readers, I hope to bring to your notice that this story is tied in to The Assassin by Sightblinder. It would be wise to read his side of the story first, before reading Sacramentia, as he leads me in the writing :P]

* * *

'Lady Ravengliace, Lord Windstorm - '   
  
'Hmm?' The Priestess turned to the young boy, who was dressed in the tan robes of an Acolyte. A club, roughly hewn from solid wood was wrapped in his hand. She kept the gentle smile upon her face as she walked towards the child, her fingers already drawing small chants of healing for him. 'What is the matter, young one?'  
  
'Lord Windstorm.. is no more.'  
  
Lenn Ravengliace blinked, her smile loosened to express mild shock and disbelief. Rekeia Windstorm, gone? He would be the last one to be obliterated by any within the Holy Church of Prontera. Rekeia was the finest General Priest they'd ever had, often leading Prontera's armies into victory against the invasions which were getting more and more frequent over the months. Yet the Acolyte could not be lying. His face, flushed from running, showed nothing but pure honesty. Lenn bit her lip, and nodded silently as she reached for her Soul Staff.   
  
'Bring me to him.'  
  
They went along dark streets in the rain and followed the high walls of Prontera's inner circle, before finally reaching an obscure corner where Rekeia had most certainly been on patrol - signs of his presence lingered still. Lenn breathed in the air which had been wrapped around the most bloodstained servant of the Lord. Surely there can be hope still. The rain pattered on nonchalantly, drenching her.   
  
'This way, Lady.' The Acolyte led her into a small ring of Priests and Monks, their expressions severe. A darkening mist settled over Lenn's mood. It was all too ominous. Politely excusing her way into the middle of it all, she squeezed through the slender gaps between the people, only to be greeted with the sound of rushing water and a dark figure which lay in the gutter.  
  
A queasy feeling seized Lenn as she stepped closer to have a better look. There was something horribly wrong in all this. Might it be a prank?  
  
'Lenn- ' a firm hand caught her arm. 'Are you sure?'  
  
'Yes, Doveike, I am sure,' she whispered, her voice trembling as she shrugged the concerned Monk off. Bending over, she lifted a corner of what seemed to be black cloth. revealing the pale, lifeless face beneath. His eyes, once coloured a beautiful deep violet, were now drained of all life. His lips were blue. Rekeia Windstorm, her friend, her companion, was gone. Making strangling sounds in her throat, Lenn pulled the fabric off him. His pure silver robes were ripped and muddied, and blood flowed freely down his prostrate body. There was a dark ovallish wound upon his chest over his heart, and Lenn could see the glisten of his crimson blood. Weakly, she knelt before her fallen friend, and cried, sobbing uncontrollably as she choked out a prayer. In the space of a few seconds, it seemed that everyone else had withdrawn, leaving her cold. Lenn reached out a hand and closed his eyes.   
  
He was still wearing the Ancient Earring she gave him two autumns ago. 


	2. Morrocan Patrol

'Come.'   
  
A pair of strong arms pulled Lenn up, and led her to a side. She wiped her translucent grey-blue eyes, which seemed almost transparent with her tears, and looked up to see a young Priest, his expression solemn. Dark carmine eyes stared back at her, and Lenn looked to a side, afraid of having her tears slide down her cheeks again. Xelk sighed, and squatted down, his gaze never leaving Lenn's. The Priest's rich golden hair seemed watered down by the rain.   
  
'We have already sent out patrols, Lenn. Grieve as you must, but you cannot let this stand in your way of helping the public of Rune Midgard,' he said quietly, careful not to be overheard.  
  
'Patrols? When's the next party leaving?' Lenn asked suddenly. Xelk blinked. It was one question he had not anticipated at all.   
  
'They leave in ten minutes, from the Southern Kafra. This particular party will head for the desert city of Morroc. Hopefully, the murderer will show himself,' Xelk said, looking at Lenn's fragile features. Subconsciously he traced a finger lightly along her cheekbone, and held her face with a hand. The Priestess' silver hair was slick with rain, and her face was as pale as the moon. 'Why don't you go back to your room and res- '  
  
'Xelk, allow me to join the Morrocan Patrol, please,' she said softly. 'I beseech you.' The girl clutched her Soul Staff tightly. Memories came to her like a flood - to her, it seemed as though Rekeia was still alive. He brought her to the snowing town of Lutie, and was like a brother to her - no,more than that. She loved him, and he loved her. To Lenn, everything was as simple as that.  
  
'But you don't look well, Lenn.'  
  
'Please,' she repeated, adamant.

* * *

'Aight, people. Lady Ravengliace will be joining you for the Patrol as well. Protect her, for as you can see she is the only female within the party. Report back if you find anything, or not. The maximum search time would be a week,' Xelk added, looking around at the Priests, the Monks and the Crusaders' determined gazes. Turning to Lenn, he took his Light Epsilon - a mace in the shape of the holy cross, forged in blazing sardonyx and gold colours - and handed it to the Priestess. 'Take care.'

* * *

The sandy hills of Morroc rose in gentle reliefs, as wind filtered through the southern lands. Lenn shuddered, feeling the cool air wrap around her. A reason why she never did like to stay in Morroc, where its days were steaming hot and their nights freezing cold. The party set off mutely through the night due south of Morroc. Crusaders rode in the front, followed by the Priests and Lenn, and Monks rounded the back up. Harsh winds skinned them, yet no one complained, and Lenn was determined not to.  
  
For Rekeia. 


	3. Enstranged

The patrol sliced through easily the lush, lightly forested lands of Prontera due south. A kindly Knight, sitting astride a strikingly blue-feathered PecoPeco had pulled the young Priestess up, seating her comfortably before him. Lenn flushed, much to the amusement of the Knight. Under his helm, Lenn saw a young man with a shock of pale golden hair and thoughtful sapphire eyes. There was a scar running diagonally across his right cheek- a memory of all the wars he'd fought.   
  
'Name's Cheeku. Cheeku Poring,' he laughed a little, his hoarse voice sending a flock of pigeons flying into the darkness. 'Whoops, sorry.'  
  
The wind gradually became freezing, clawing at their bare skin. Greenery became sparse, as did signs of life. A large, jagged shape loomed up before them- one of the several small hills abundant in Morrocan lands. The patrol gathered under this landform, rubbing their hands together to generate heat as they huddled together for warmth.   
  
The leader of the patrol, a middle-aged Crusader with dark brown hair, spoke. His deep voice seemed to calm the fretful PecoPecos, who did not enjoy the chilling winds at all.   
  
'We're now in the Morroc Deserts. I pray, stay close, for the Deserts are still full of strange beasts- I do not want to lose any of you. Cheeku, guard Lady Ravengliace well,' he added, gazing directly into Cheeku's cerulean eyes. The Knight bowed in silence.   
  
'I will, Lord Braska.'  
  
They set off again, in a single file. The night sky was like a blanket decorated with vague stars and a thin slice of the cresent moon. Lenn sneezed.   
  
'Hold the reins a while, Lady,' Cheeku took her hand and placed the worn leather in her delicate hands. Behind her, there was a rustling sound, and suddenly a heavy weight draped itself around her shoulders, causing her to jump a little. The blue PecoPeco let out a discontented squawk. 'Relax.'  
  
Cheeku took the reins from her again with a short laugh.  
  
Before them, Lenn noticed a female Knight somewhere in the middle of the line drop from view. Shocked, Lenn gaped, as the fallen Knight struggled to stand again, her form shadowed by several scuttling shapes. The sharp noise of metal against metal cut through the air brutally. The Patrol surrounded the fallen Knight in a flurry of PecoPeco feathers and flashing swords. Voices rent the air. Cheeku held back, unsure if to carry Lenn into battle as well.   
  
The Priestess reached for the Knight's hand, patting it reassuringly and slid off.   
  
'Go,' Lenn said, her voice tight with anxiety.  
  
'Lady Ravengliace, do not stay here. Scorpions are deadly, and they will spread. Go fur- ARGH!!!!'   
  
A Scorpion had scuttled up the PecoPeco, and it bit Cheeku's arm. A spray of blood landed on the soft desert land, creating a bloody arc.   
  
'Go!'   
  
Lenn backed away as Cheeku wrestled with the Scorpion. Its pincers dug deep between his armours, ripping yet another barely-suppressed yell of pain. The other members of the patrol were almost being over-run by the creatures of the desert.  
  
_'Ne, Lenn, why did you become a Servant of the Lord?' Rekeia asked, as they sat together on the bank of a small stream near Prontera.  
  
'Mm? I want to help people!' Lenn laughed, as a Lunatic nuzzled her outstretched hand. 'I don't want to see people dying...'  
  
'We'll advance into Priesthood together,' Rekeia gazed up at the sky. 'Then we'll help people together.'_  
  
A shaking hand drew out a small shimmering gem, azure in colour. Lenn stopped her tears with a quick wipe, and threw the blue gem into the middle of the mess.  
  
'Sanctuary!'  
  
A circle of pure light manifested itself around the group. Wounds were healed, and blood dissolved into air. Lenn kept on murmuring strings of enchantments to sustain the spell for far longer than it originally could. Her eyes closed, and her body went lax, dropping onto the desert ground light as a stone.   
  
The comforting light of the Sanctuary faded, and all around lay the pierced, cracked bodies of Scorpions, finally beaten.   
  
'Lady Ravengliace! Where is she?!'  
  
'I told her to run for it, Lord Braska. We were being over-run...'   
  
'Search for her! The Church will have our heads should we lose her!'  
  
Noise faded into nothing and darkness.

* * *

Sand. Sand was all around her. Lenn let out a soft moan of pain as she tried to get up. Blood flowed from her thigh where a sharp stone had cut her as she fell. That particular culprit lay someways from her. The Priestess gazed down at her attire. The wind had ripped her dress, and there were revealing flashes of milky skin here and there. She lay down again.  
  
It was night. Could it have been the same night when she fell? Where were the members of the Patrol? How were they? -  
  
Tired, she closed her eyes once more, pulling the cloak around her closer with what little strength she had left. Perhaps, when she had more energy, she would try to move. 


	4. Sinful Help

A/N : forgive me for the delay in update. I was lazy. Still am. Oh well.

* * *

Fighting.  
  
Sand.  
  
And most of all, the darn heat which nestled around her.  
  
There was the unmistakeable "shiing" of metal against grains of something, seemingly hitting air and the hard grains of sand. Lenn moved her head, and nudged up against a boulder. Blearily, she opened her eyes, raising a hand weakly to shield them from the merciless glare of the blinding sun.  
  
Everything came back in a rush of images. Rekeia Windstorm's untimely death, her voluntary joining of the Morrocan Patrol.. and the swarms of scarlet scorpions.  
  
What was she doing, lying upon the sand as if nothing else mattered?  
  
'Heal.' A warm wave of light rushed over her, and her fatigue faded, leaving a slighty nauseous feeling in her stomach. Standing, she gazed upwards onto the small heap of sand next to which she lay.  
  
The unmistakeable shadow of a human, engaged in swift combat with what seemed like constantly moving piles of sand. Sandmen. One dissipated into nothingness- back to the air where it came from. The person turned to the next creature, oblivious of a third which sneaked up on him, vague arms fashioned from dripping streams of sand raised in attack.  
  
'Holy Light!' Lenn cried out, praying hard. The monster was stunned, hit by the attack.  
  
'Holy Light! HOLY LIGHT!!' she almost panicked as the Sandman turned away from the person and headed towards her, slouching almost painfully down the dune.  
  
'HOLY LIGHT!' The Sandman, poised to hit, was shattered, and the sand fell to the ground unsupported.  
  
The person.  
  
Quickly, Lenn scrambled up the dune, to find him still fighting. His movements were slower, and his aim not as accurate.  
  
'Heal! Agility Increase! Blessing! Imposito Manus!' Lenn racked her brains to help the person. 'Kyrie Eleison! Slow Poison!'  
  
The Priestess rested a little, tired by the continous casting of spells. Only then did she see properly who she was helping.  
  
An Assassin, clothed in the dark purple garb, which was undeniably soiled. His face was tired, but still youthful. Hair the colour of pristine paper shone in the sunlight, framing his face as if he were an angel. His lips were drawn tight in the heat of the battle.  
  
'H- Holy Light...' Lenn murmured, and with the final burst of energy the Sandman died.  
  
She had been helping an Assassin.


	5. The Sanctuary

With a soft flump, the assassin fell, as if everything within him had been turned into Jellopy. Lenn panicked as she hurried to his side, trying to pull his face off the sand. She succeeded in flipping his body sideway, resting his head in her lap. His pale face was battered and bloody, as were the rest of his body. His attire was torn by the sharp, swift sands of the desert.  
  
Perhaps... a portal...  
  
Lenn felt for the small sienna pouch she usually carried by her right side, and was relieved to see that it was still there. Pulling out an azure gem with two fingers, she enclosed it in her fist, fingering the smooth glassiness of the surface, and murmured an incantation to open the doors of dimensions. In a graceful movement reminiscent of blooming blossoms, the Priestess opened her palm, and the Blue Gem dissolved into air.  
  
'Warp Portal!'  
  
A ring of brilliant emerald burst open beneath them, extending its fragile walls high up. Lenn pulled the assassin closer, and squeezed her eyes closed as the portal took them both in.  
-----------------  
  
'Mm!' Lenn sighed in relief as she felt solid ground beneath her. It was always like that for her. She never knew why people enjoyed portals so much. For her, it was like flying without wings, and she gets dizzy spells especially on portals which take longer time to open.  
  
'Lady Ravengliace!'  
  
They were in the Sanctuary at last, before the podium where the Arch Bishop always held mass. Wooden benches lined the grand hall on both sides, leaving space between for an aisle where a red carpet was rolled out.  
  
A few acolytes ran to her, their innocent faces wearing shocked expressions as they hastened to heal her and fuss over her. Lenn shook her head, trying instead to stand but could not. Something was holding her down.  
  
'Uhm.. Lady Ravengliace...' one of the acolytes, a young boy-child whose name was Noritaka tugged on her sleeve-cuff, and looked at her feet. Lenn's eyes followed, and she nearly dropped the assassin whom she had been clutching all along. He emitted a groan.  
  
'Oh dear- ehm.. ehm.. Noritaka, call for one of the Priests to take this man-' Lenn bent down and laid him more comfortably upon the pebbled ground. 'And tell him to take care of him. I think he's badly wounded...'  
  
Saying so, Lenn turned, intending to make for her quarters, but she never did reach there by herself. The priestess fell, her head hitting the wooden bench's edge. ----------  
  
'Lenn. Oy, Lenn!'  
  
A voice called out to her. She opened her eyes- those translucent grey-blue eyes which finally saw life again. The first object which she saw was...  
  
'Xelk!' She started, jerking up to a sitting position and receiving jarring pain instead. 'Owh...'  
  
'Silly,' the concerned priest patted her head lightly. 'So... how're you feeling?'  
  
Lenn felt around her body. Her forehead was bandaged. Her left arm and right wrist, too, as well as her hip. 'I feel fine. But seeing these bandages I feel sore,' Lenn laughed, her lilting voice lifting the gloom which had blanketted the room.  
  
'Good,' Xelk sighed, and sat back in the high-backed chair drawn up for him, and stared at the girl. His dark crimson eyes and blonde hair reassured her greatly, and she reached out to play with his hair.  
  
'So, Xelk Rhyias, what went on whilst I was away?'  
  
'The Patrol came back, and the entire Church was in a flurry over your disappearance,' Xelk sighed. 'Then you just come and turn up all injured with an assassin! An assassin! The Arch Bishop would be going all piffy!'  
  
'Well he got all injured from whacking Sandmen and -'  
  
'Have you already forgotten Rekeia?'  
  
Lenn settled into a cool silence. Xelk coughed, a slight blush creeping up onto his cheeks.  
  
'I'll go see the Assassin.'  
  
'I'll go with you.'  
  
'No. I want to go alone.'  
  
'But Lenn-'  
  
'Never mind. I will go with her,' a soft feminine voice sang from the closed door.  
  
'Sai!' Lenn cried with pure childish delight in seeing her close friend again, and got out of bed. Xelk, thoroughly used to her habits, closed his eyes and faced the wall as she dressed in a more appropriate attire. After a while and lots of fabric-rustling, Lenn tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around, his eyes open once again. She had put on the tight garment of her Priestess garb again, and his eyes slid over how well it fit her lithe, slender body.  
  
'Tsk tsk, Xelk.'  
  
The priest chastened himself and looked back up at her face, and picked up her black-covered Bible leading her to the door where Sai was evidently waiting. He opened the door for her, then left them. Sai laughed at his priestly decorum. 'So. Let's go,' the Knightess said, bowing slightly, as they started for the dungeons.  
  
Jounouchi Sai was a famous female Knight, one of the top graduating students from the Swordsman Academy. Her chin-length dark brown hair was always bouncing from her animated behaviour, and her pale violet eyes were always twinkling with mischief. Many suitors had written long letters of love to her, but she always brushed them off as "not being the right time".  
  
They reached the dungeons, where the air was dank and moist. Few people were actually kept in here, and not for long. 'Sai... I would like to go in myself,' Lenn whispered to the carefree Knightess. The Knightess nodded. Lenn always liked her privacy. It wasn't that far from the cell where the assassin was kept, anyways. If anything happened Lenn would just shout, and Sai could run down to her..  
  
The Priestess walked quietly down the damp aisle between the cells, her hold on the Bible tightening with every step. Finally, she came to the last cell, where it was the darkest. Something was moving around in there.  
  
'Ehm... hello?' 


	6. Meeting Again

'Honestly, Lenn!' Sai hissed venomously as they left the oppressive atmosphere. The Knightess dragged the Priestess out of the dungeons, and leant her against the cool stone walls. 'What were you thinking when you actually spoke to that filth?!'

The Priestess turned to gaze out of a window, disliking Sai for being able to see her in such a state. Weak, vulnerable. Always needing someone to protect her. Priests are always seen as such. Weaklings.

'He isn't like the other Assassins, Sai.. He helped me. He saved my life,' Lenn fingered the crystal rosary around her neck. 'In Morroc, when I got separated from the Patrol.'

'That was then,' Sai took a step closer. Her emerald eyes flashed dangerously. 'Now is now. He is but dirt like any other who kills for money!'

'Sai!'

There was a tense moment, as Lenn whipped about to face the protective Knightess. Lenn hated Sai for not being able to see how she, Lenn, felt. This Eclipse could not be like any other Assassin- did he not save her, when he could have just gone on without bothering to even look at her?

'... Fine,' Sai frowned. 'You win.'

The pale Priestess bowed a little, and turned to head up to her quarters, in one of the rooms in the West wing. The dark corridors were dimly lit by torches, set alit as usual by the young Acolytes as the sun set, a slash of crimson in the horizon. She stopped for a little while at one of the rectangular windows, gazing out of the slit at the sky. Stars were scattered across the deep indigo sky, and the sun left vague traces of its presence in the glowing embers in the clouds beneath.

How many sunsets had Eclipse seen? Would he see another again, as free as he had been?

Why did the Church jail him?

What did he do?

Lenn shook her head, and continued on her way.

Her room was as she had left it. The half-made bed in the far left corner, a little bed-side table next to it, carved with the image of the Gods.

Except Loki, the God of Deceit, Chaos and Gluttony.

Opposite the bed stood the bookcase, crammed to the maximum with thick tomes of various languages. Elvish seemed to be the dominant language, being her birth tongue. Her wardrobe was next to it, just behind the door. The middle and right side was mainly occupied with a large squarish carpet, which was in shades of sienna brown-gold, concentrating in the middle with a flare of brilliant gold-silver, where Lenn oft knelt as she prayed. Runic words were embroidered all along the borders, swirling from the sides to create waves of words.

Thankful for the cool silence of the night, Lenn changed into a thigh-length Saint Robe, and nestled herself in her bed, refusing to think anymore about Sai and her response.

It was the day for the Ceremony, the day Lenn and Xelk had awaited so long for. Lenn smiled just at the thought of it. They had put in so much effort and gave up so many hours of sleep- surely, the day would be special.

They were to be initiated into High Priesthood- the first of its class in all of Rune-Midgard.

'Oy Lenn, hurry up already!'

Xelk's annoyed voice floated in from outside the door, completely oblivious to the rush of the Priestess within the small room. Lenn pulled a brush through her collar-bone length hair, thankful for the speed and ease it slid through her light brown hair. Weaving her hair into a miniature halo of braids she secured it with a large pinkish-red ribbon, letting the rest fall naturally upon her slender shoulders. The nervous girl checked her attire again. The purple garb fitted her like a second skin, but this time the slit was unusually high, almost all the way up to her waist... Blushing a little, Lenn turned about and drew out the black Bible she usually carried about from the library from the bookcase, and then headed for the door.

'LEN-'

Xelk's cry of annoyance was abruptly cut off as she meekly opened the door, peeping out shyly. The light filtering in from the window behind her created a soft yellow halo of sorts, outlining her svelte body. Seeing Xelk's stunned expression, she laughed, and stepped out from her shield of the door.

'What's the matter?' she smiled as sweetly as she could, closing the door behind her effectively sandwiching herself between it and Xelk. Xelk's face was a splash of red in the darkness, and it amused Lenn greatly, for she has never seen her close friend like this. 'Xelk?' There was no response. 'Xe---lk?' she tiptoed, frowning a little at his lack of response.

'Ah-' Xelk started, his ears burning as well. Involuntarily he brought his face a tad too close to the worried girl's, and his lips brushed her cheek. In the darkness they stood like that, shocked.

Lenn did like Xelk. When Rekeia Winterstorm suddenly left her, he was there to comfort her, cushioning the pain she felt so deeply. Over time, her fondness for the older man grew. Soon she was tagging along after Xelk where-ever he went, loving the way he held onto her hand as they ran from class to class. They promised each other to advance to being a High Priest and Priestess together. The bond between them thickened and tightened, and Lenn could always trust Xelk to know how she felt.

Because he knew the pain she endured when Rekeia left.

'Etou... Xelk...' Lenn blushed lightly as they pulled out of the embrace Xelk had enveloped her in to hide his embarrassment.

'Hmm?' Xelk smoothed her hair down, flicking it lightly away from her eyes. Translucent blue-gray. He never saw that shade of colour before.

'I have to go down to the Dungeons first...' she reached up and adjusted his rosary. It was made of marble, thick and cold in her hands. 'I'm a little worried about the assassin they have down there...'

'Tsk,' Xelk's eyes suddenly exuded an air of wintry coldness. 'That assassin...'

'Don't worry, I'll be back soon,' Lenn smiled, and ran off to the Dungeons, so that she would make it in time for the Ceremony.

The dark tunnels of the Dungeon Prisons led Lenn back to the cell from which Sai had so cruelly dragged her from that fateful day. Lenn held her rosary tightly, thanking God for Sai's easy-going nature. Whenever they fought, it was usually Lenn who was first to apologize. However some times Sai would apologize too, uncomfortable with the sudden coolness which would settle over them.

To Lenn, the cell seemed to be darker than usual. She clasped her hands together, and prayed for a moment. A spark of blue flames burst into being, hover at her waist level around her. It circled her tirelessly, lighting up the shadowy crevices of the jail.

'Etou... Lord Eclipse?' she called out, abashed at her own audacity to face him again. 'Are you all right?'


	7. Deeper

Lenn started when she saw no one in he cell at all. The empty cot stood slightly to the side, grave, dark smudges on the linen visible even by the dim moonlight which spilled in from the windows - high slits of rectangles set in the wall. Involuntarily a gasp escaped her, and she reached for the roughly smithed lock, wincing slightly as blood was drawn when the rust brushed roughly against her delicate skin.

Several tugs and yanks later Lenn gave up, reaching for her Arc Wand instead, which leant against the pillar. With a cry of frustration she brought her staff down on the lock heavily, breaking it easily. The old lock smashed int pieces, dropping onto the ground with dull clunks. Relieved, she pulled the gates open, and stepped in.

The dank stench hit Lenn almost immediately, inducing an effectively dizzying state in her. In her fuzzy sight her eyes landed on a dark brown object. Wood, she saw, and stretched a hand to pick it up.

There was a subtle swish of fabric, and a shocked Lenn felt cold hands upon her neck and against her mouth. She shivered, and her dizzy state of mind righted itself quickly.

'Welcome to my cell, Lady Ravengliace.'

Eclipse whispered, his words mocking her as they swept past her ear in a gush of warm air. Next, she felt a warm, slightly moist ... thing descend upon her cheek, and tried desperately to pull away as it was Eclipse, kissing her.

A wave of nausea rushed over her, and the blood left her face. Lenn went weak-kneed, vaguely registering a cool, sharp edge sliding against her neck, as se fell to her knees, shivering and trembling.

Another demostration of her physically weak body. Lenn felt disgusted with herself.

Eclipse dropped the knife and crouched next to her, shaking her cautiously. Weakly she lifted a hand to her roasary, its crystalline shades shimmeringly bright in the dimness. A moment later her world righted again. Subconsciously, she let a sigh go.

'Do I... disgust you that much?'

Surprised, Lenn turned behind as best as she could, trying to see his expression. It was a futile attempt- shadows fell across his face, masking his features. His loose grip of her tightened for a moment, bringing her closer to him.

'Etou... no... it's a childhood illness...' she stared at her hands, folded demurely over her wand in her lap. 'Xelk used to take care of me when I got cold spells like that... Until he managed to convince a Priest to teach him cures so that we did not have to waste our money on medication.'

'Xelk?' Eclipse asked, politely enough.

'He's a friend,' Lenn blushed slightly, lowering her head slightly. 'A fellow Priest.'

Eclipse made no response, only to pick up the knife again, and placed it against her neck, laying it on her collarbone. Still, he was cautious not to slit her clothing, and Lenn noticed his gentleness, which only served to confuse her.

'Lord Eclipse?'

He shifted suddenly, and terse silence filled the place.

'Address me Lord not, for I am unworthy of such a title.' Eclipse's voice was rough and low. A tone of embarrassment crept into his words. Lenn blinked.

'Why are you not worthy? When I was young my... caretakers told me that it was only polite to address people Lord and Lady and... stuff,' Lenn said energetically, her voice trailing off. There was a terse calm, and Lenn fingered the hem of her sleeve-cuff nervously.

'Lenn? Are you in here?'

'Xe-' the Priestess called out to respond, before her voice was cut off by a sudden gloved hand over her lips. The name died in her throat as Eclipse shifted to a more comfortable position, keeping his hand over her mouth.

'Don't.' The only word which issued from his lips were full of meaning, and Lenn understood it perfectly.

Call Xelk, and face a quick slit and die.

Lenn wondered what Xelk would do. She knew that he wanted to get out of the hell hole he was stuck in, but would he do it at the expense of her life?

iWhy not? He's an assassin.

He kills for a living./i 


End file.
